


An Evening at the Office

by ownedbyacat



Series: Glimpses and Misfits [4]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Gen, Prospects AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-06
Updated: 2013-04-06
Packaged: 2017-12-07 15:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/750309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ownedbyacat/pseuds/ownedbyacat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Byakuya works late, he has a certain routine. One that definitely doesn't involve two grown up men giggling like schoolboys over a magazine...</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Evening at the Office

**An Evening at the Office**

Ten o'clock and another night when the CEO of Kuchiki Industries appeared to be the last man left in the large old building. Byakuya Kuchiki liked it that way. He relished the chance to wander the hallways and offices without the usual flurry of activity and speculation that dogged his steps wherever he went and the state of desks and common areas at the end of the day told him more about his company than accountant's reports and bank balances.

There were other perks to his lonely sojourns, too. New specimens on the prospecting office coffee tables or a haphazardly tacked up map on a wall could give him early warning of approaches by other mining companies. The employee notice board was a useful barometer of morale – even though he needed help interpreting its message more often than he cared to admit. Study of the notice board often led him to the tranquillity of Unohana's office and the ongoing mystery of why this quiet, supportive woman chose to surround herself with poisonous plants. And it wasn't unheard of for him to pull an orange off the tree beside Kensei's desk or pick a sprig of mint or rosemary on his way home to cook dinner.

Byakuya Kuchiki's evening forays through the building were a cherished routine. And that routine did not involve... giggles. Totally inane giggles. Coming from Kensei Muguruma's office.

"Now _she_ looks ace, don't'cha think?" Don Frazer queried in a heavy accent as the Kuchiki pushed open the door to Kensei's private office. The Scot was leaning across Kensei's desk and waved a magazine at... Shūhei Hisagi, who occupied Kensei's chair, feet propped up on a corner of the desk. Both looked dishevelled and suspiciously flushed.

"Not really Kensei's type, if ya' know what I mean?"

"He has a type?"

A frown crept across Byakuya's brow. Judging from the way they worked together, Byakuya had thought Kensei and Hisagi were a couple. Had he been wrong about that or had something happened? Would that explain...

"How about this one?" Frazer held out the magazine. "Exterminate!" he snarled in a decent approximation before another fit of giggles overtook him.

"Nah," Shūhei just shook his head. A cute little frown drew his brows together and crinkled the corners of his eyes. "It's Kensei. It's gotta be food porn."

The Kuchiki stepped closer to the desk, still unobserved. "I thought we had a policy about dirty magazines at work, gentlemen," he said icily.

"I dusted it carefully before I brought it in, sir." Frazer deadpanned, trying very hard not to dissolve into laughter. Again.

"True," the brunet beside him nodded assent. "Kensei requested a custom job, so we can't just get any old..."

Byakuya was close enough now to see that the magazine in question didn't show scantily clad women or other risqué material, but what the page _did_ show made little sense. A dalek, next to a fish tank with colourful tropical fish, next to a guitar decorated with truly garish Hawaiian print, next to a... roast chicken with a red rubber hat? "Are you drunk?"

"Just totally strung out," came Kensei's voice from the open doorway along with the mouthwatering aroma of freshly cooked curry. "These two nut jobs decided to marinade in coffee instead of going home last night. I suggest you discount anything either of them says. They're on a different planet."

The security chief set two large carrier bags on the low table by the window and dug in the cupboard next to it for plates, cutlery and a box of napkins. "Now get your asses up here and eat before I force-feed you."

The Kuchiki followed in the wake of Shūhei and Don weaving their way across the office, noting the dark circles around Shūhei's eyes, Frazer's drooping lashes and gazes that vacillated between alert and totally unfocussed as if someone was playing with a switch. Byakuya was no stranger to long hours, but he rarely worked more than twenty hours without at least a nap. Or food.

"Was there something you neglected to tell me?" Byakuya sat down and accepted a plate. He had never eaten dinner in the security chief's office, but he had the distinct impression that it wasn't a rare occurrence. He made a mental note to use the next operations review board to address working hours.

"We were rebuilding a server," Shūhei started, only to be cut off by a growling Kensei.

"You two have _nothing_ else to say tonight. Shut up and eat so I can pack you off home."

"Ah, you're just pissed because you didn't know," Shūhei smiled angelically, unfazed by the snarl. But at least he sat down and started eating before Byakuya was forced to make an attempt to restrain the white-haired security chief.

"Kensei?" he queried to distract the man. "Is there something I need to know?"

"When Frazer starts to take meeting notes in binary, he's gone too long without sleep," Kensei replied after a deep, put-upon sigh. "Other than that... no. There's no emergency, just two idiots going to town on a routine job."

"But we got it done in record..."

Kensei glared. Frazer stopped speaking and concentrated on his food. And Byakuya had to admit that the curry was exceptional. As was the entertainment. Because once they had food in their stomachs, Frazer and Hisagi simply couldn't keep awake. The brunet, neat as always, just dropped his head to his chest and nodded off, empty plate still in his lap and fingers folded neatly around the handle of his fork. The Scot fought with his heavy lids, not least because he continued to riffle through the magazine that had occupied his mind all evening. But he, too, lost to Morpheus in the end and Kensei rescued his plate before it hit the floor.

"I'll take them home later. Just wanted to make sure they'd eaten." Kensei stacked plates, not hiding the affection in his voice. "They're bound to feel like shit tomorrow anyway. No need to make it worse."

"Enlighten me," Byakuya said when he had finished his portion and set the plate on the edge of the low table. "What's that custom job that had these two giggling like teenagers over a top shelf magazine?"

"Slip of the tongue on my part," Kensei admitted. "I asked them to spec me a new computer, similar to Shūhei's. I'd no idea why the two were howling with laughter until Frazer dug this out." He reached for the magazine and flipped it open. "Customised computer casings," he explained, turning the pages. "From stunning to cringeworthy and everything in between. One of Frazer's mates builds these... and once they got it into their heads that that's what I wanted, there was no stopping them."

Byakuya took the magazine from Kensei's hand and flipped through the pages, intrigued by the multitude of designs. Some, like toaster ovens or motorcycles were predictable. Others, like a miniature of Tower Bridge or a Victorian steam ship, were not. And the seascapes, complete with fish and flowing water, were simply unbelievable.

"These are fully functional computers?" he verified.

"Casings. You put inside whatever computer you want."

Byakuya Kuchiki flipped back to the page with the seascapes and aquaria. "It says here the designer takes commissions. Would he be able to create a hillside? With flowering trees and a waterfall?"

He ignored both Kensei's groan and Frazer's sleepy giggle.

**Author's Note:**

> So, totally crack... based off a prompt by Cuzosu, and supposed to help me figure out Byakuya Kuchiki, the mining tycoon. Not sure my brain grasped the concept. We now have a bulletin-board reading, orange scrumping Kuchiki. Heaven help us!


End file.
